Little Monsters
by potpourrie
Summary: Not all Hales are born wolves. Meredith Hale, black sheep of the family, returns to Beacon Hills with her brother in search of their older sister. They find nothing but trouble.
1. before we begin

When Meredith Hale was eleven years old, her life was irrevocably changed, and most definitely not for the better.

She had been so excited to be pulled out of school early; left all her classmates jealous that she left at eleven instead of three, like them. Sure, she'd been confused, but she didn't question it; maybe her mother had scheduled a dentist appointment and forgotten to mention it. It didn't happen often, but she could be forgetful like that. When she saw that Laura was there, flanked by police officers, Derek lurking behind her, well that just made the confusion rise to an all time high.

The officers led the three siblings into the middle school principal's office, the woman herself standing in a corner with her hands folded neatly in front of her. She looked sad; a tiny crease between her eyebrows and the slightest of frowns gave it away. Meredith found herself frowning too. She turned questioning eyes to Laura, the oldest person she knew in the room, sure that she would have the answers. Even the cops were glancing at her sister, like she had all the answers.

After Laura finally got the words out, Merry (a terrible family nickname that came from her Uncle Peter saying Meredith was an awful name suited only for old ladies), sobbed and cried and screamed for her daddy. Her family couldn't be dead - not _everyone_, not Cora who was still nine and dumb and not Aunt Helen, who was gonna have a baby in five months, and definitely not her daddy, the bravest man she knew. Laura held her all the way back to - to the place she once called home. Derek was tense in the driver's seat of Laura's pick up; there was one cop car behind them and one in front.

They stayed in Beacon Hills long enough for the Hale Mansion to stop smoldering and for their relatives to be placed at rest. And then Laura, eyes red with Alpha power, took her siblings and ran. One sleepy little Californian town was traded for another; the Hales, once a strong, proud werewolf clan, had dwindled to two wolves and their painfully normal sister.

Derek went from being a snarky, cocky teenager who, while rebellious, would listen to his Alpha, to a serious, dour-faced man full of sharp edges and hurtful words. Always questioning, Derek was; he hadn't wanted to leave Beacon Hills without getting revenge, and he most certainly hadn't wanted to settle down within a day's drive of the place. So he took off the month after he finished high school; the ink on his diploma had still been damp. Merry was never too sure why he didn't stick around; she figured he couldn't handle being in one place. Most of her werewolf relatives hadn't been too fond of being stationary, and she figured it had to be a wolf thing.

So she and Laura grew up together. Laura ditched her college plans and got work as a secretary in a law office; it wasn't the greatest job, but it was enough to let two girls live comfortable lives, especially when added to the money Laura (as the eldest offspring) received from the insurance providers. Meredith was jumpy for six straight months; she refused to leave the house, didn't want to let her siblings out of her sight. Every shadow was a hunter who had followed them to finish the job. She was forced to repeat a year, much to Laura's displeasure. Eventually, she got her shit together. Went to school, made friends and got a job; joining the track team helped her outrun her issues. It only helped when she started looking into _alternative_ methods of protection.

Now here she is, sitting in their living room, approximately five hundred miles from Beacon Hills, surrounded by the strongest wards she could muster, and still that place is ruining her life. It's not the first time Laura's left her alone; there have been plenty of weekend jaunts to burn off some excess wolfy energy. Then again, there hadn't been spirals popping up all over the place they once called home. This was an investigation, plain and simple.

It's almost eight o'clock on Sunday when her hope that this was all nothing really starts waning. Merry can feel it, just knows, that Laura's not coming home. Not tonight, not tomorrow, not _eve__r_. The knock comes at around midnight to confirm her fears.

Unsurprisingly, Derek's there, with a familiar guilty shadow in his blue-green eyes. He comes in, shrugs off the leather coat that's almost more part of him than his flesh and blood. Takes a seat, steeples his hands under his chin. Meredith takes a seat across from him and does the same.

"Laura's off the grid. She wasn't at the checkpoint last night and hasn't shown up since."

The information doesn't surprise her, not in the slightest. She sighs, and gets up to make coffee. Obviously sleep isn't in the cards tonight. It's quiet for a few minutes, as she mechanically fills the coffee pot. She's reaching for two ceramic mugs when he speaks again.

"I'm going to look for her. Which means - I'm going home." here her brother cuts his eyes to level a careful look at her, "Permanently."

Her hands shake around the mugs. "Is that a good idea? If sh- If she's gone, Der, then that just proves what we've always known. Beacon Hills is deadly for Hales."

"I'm not just walking away from this, Merry! Not again, not when it's down to you and me." Derek takes a deep, calming breath. "You have to come with me."

Meredith turns around so fast her hair gives her a serious case of whiplash in retaliation. It takes a lot, almost more than she has, to not lob the cups in her hand at his utterly stupid face._ Three deep breaths_ she thinks, trying to calm down. She might not wolf out when her ire rises, but an angry Hale is still nothing to laugh at.

"I know you've never liked Bayview, Derek. But I have a life here. Nobody knows me, knows what happened. Kids at school don't look sideways at me. If I go back - no, if_ we_," because she's still trying to convince him this is a bad idea, "go back, there's all that to look forward to. Not to mention the crazy amount of danger that inherently comes with Beacon Hills like some warped package deal." Merry crosses her arms, coffee forgotten, and sets her jaw. Derek thinks she's never looked more like Laura in her life. "Do what you feel you have to, Der. I'm not going, and you can't make me."

Her brother is still sitting on the couch, looking so out of place against the buttery yellow cushions and sea green walls. He's never been comfortable here, not when he was seventeen and not now at twenty three. The more she watches, the odder the situation seems. It's not like him to sit and listen patiently. She hadn't been watching too closely, but he hadn't been bouncing his knee or flashing supernaturally-glowing eyes in anger. Her suspicions grow.

"It wasn't a question, Meredith." Derek finally says, voice so soft, so unlike him. Then he's moving, almost too fast for her average sight. There's a brief moment of pain when he delivers a swift knock to the back of her head.

"Son of a . . . " and then Merry's out.

Kidnapping is not his first choice. He'd much rather his thick-headed little sister come quietly. But it's not in her nature, to go unquestioningly with him anymore. Hasn't really been her since he left them behind five years ago. No amount of stilted holidays and late birthday cards could make that up.

Derek heaves a sigh and scrubs a hand over his face, rough fingertips catching on his stubble. Then he turns to the first door on the left in the hallway just past the kitchen. It's his old room, the one with navy walls that had been turned into storage upon his departure. He grabs two suitcases and a duffle, and then goes into the room across the hall.

XO

**and we're back! i hope this is acceptable; some aspects have changed, some have stayed the same. i think the only thing that's changed about the oc is her name and some aspects of her personality. so ellie is now meredith. i tried to make it different from the original, and i think? i did that? but? lord who knows. so yes! read, review, tell me where i could stand to improve and what's alright!**

**disclaimer: teen wolf is not mine, nor is the town of bayview, california. meredith hale, however, is.**


	2. smoke and bone

Meredith wakes up in the dark, chilly and alone. The air is heavy with smoke and the crisp scent that only comes in fall, when everything is dying. Over her head, the stars show through holes in the roof. It doesn't take much to guess where she is; Derek had obviously brought her home.

She sits up, swings her legs over the edge of the rickety wooden table her brother oh so thoughtfully laid her out on. Merry leans back on her hands and sighs. It's not the first time she's been in these ruins since the fire, and apparently it's not going to be the last either, judging by the sleeping bag laid messily in front of the burned out, crumbling fireplace.

Carefully, so _very_ carefully, Meredith hops off the table and lands neatly on her feet. Trailing her fingers along the walls, she traces a path out of what had once been their living room to the kitchen. They leave trails of light grey standing out against the years of built up dirt and dust.

Other than a heavy coating of_ ick_ and some scorched floorboards, the room looks so similar to how it had been six years ago. Sure, a few of the cabinet doors are hanging off their hinges, and the appliances are long gone, either stolen or thrown out. The walls are covered in the same flowered wallpaper, the one which her mother had loved so dearly. A little round table is still tucked into the corner, two of the four chairs missing. Sunday mornings had been spent crowded around that table, Cora complaining about homework and Ryan (Aunt Helen's eldest at fourteen, and also the only other normal kid in the house) choking down his breakfast before racing out of the house to find his friends. _God, it wasn't all that long ago at all, was it?_ she thinks bitterly.

A loud creaking leads her back into the living room. Derek is just closing the door, surprisingly solid so many years later. Meredith almost wants to pick a fight with him. Kidnapping shouldn't be so forgivable; neither should dumping her in this burned out husk, for that matter. But he looks tired, from a few days traveling and then at least one more searching for Laura. There are bags under his eyes and his skin's looking a little waxy. It's unnatural, probably because she's never seen him with so much as a case of the sniffles. So she cuts him a break, and simply mutters a hello.

"Glad to see you back on your feet." he replies. There's something in his hands. Judging by the hot pink stretchy band just peeking out of his fist, he's found Laura's keys.

Merry hums noncommittally, crosses her arms and waits for the bad news that's sure to follow. "Where'd you find those?"

"In her motel room, a few miles outside of town. The kid behind the desk said he last saw her yesterday morning." He shrugged his shoulders before tossing the keys on the table she'd woken up on. "I figured you could use it." The obvious implication being, of course, that Laura wouldn't be needing the cute little Saab convertible anymore.

Mer glanced at the keys, eyes closing for just a second, before picking them up. It's a heavy bundle; car key, remote, office and house keys. And then, perhaps, the heaviest key of all; an old brass number that opens most, if not all, of the remaining doors in the mansion.

"Laura Hale summed up in three little keys." she says, voice cracking just so slightly.

Derek frowns. "Her scent was all over the Preserve." The furrow between his eyebrows deepens before he continues. "There was some blood, too."

Meredith simply hugs the keys to her chest.

XO

The siblings separate the next day; Derek is still combing through every inch of the Preserve, and he gives Meredith strict orders to head into town. It's where they're more useful; him tracking, and her interacting with the normal population of Beacon Hills. Not that Derek isn't a charming little bastard when he wants to be, but it's easier to deal with Merry when she has a purpose, something to do.

She makes a quick pit stop to gas up Laura's (well, she guesses the car belongs to her now but it physically hurts to think that her big sister isn't going to be using it again) Saab before heading to the long term care facility.

While Merry had only visited Peter once or twice since the fire, Laura was a frequent visitor. She usually stopped by when she was heading to Oregon; and her sister was nothing if not a creature of habit.

She greeted the nurse behind the reception desk with a small smile. "Hi, I'm looking to visit my uncle, Peter Hale?"

The dark haired nurse nodded before pulling out a white three ring binder. "I'll need to see some ID, and you have to sign in."

Pulling out her license, Merry grabbed the pen and signed with a flourish. A quick scan of the names before her showed that Laura had, in fact, visited Friday night. Flashing another smile, she took back her ID before being shown to Peter's room.

The nurse explained his vegetative state, that there would be no response from the man, not even so much as a twitch of the finger, before leaving the room. It was difficult, reconciling this silent, stone-like figure in the wheelchair with her mischievous uncle.

It had been a while since she'd seen Peter; while Laura had relatively few qualms with passing through their old home, Meredith had refused. She'd been wrangled into one visit two or three years ago, at Christmas time. Other than that, Meredith avoided Beacon Hills like the plague.

Taking a seat on his bed, she starts talking to his back. "Well Uncle, you're certainly looking better. Time's done that much for you, I suppose." She crosses her legs before continuing. "Laura's missing, you know. She visited you Friday night when she got into town and hasn't been seen since yesterday morning. Probably doesn't mean that much to you now, though."

Not that she'd been expecting an answer, but this whole situation was eerie. The silence was deafening, and the scent of antiseptics and bleach burned her nose. It feels nice, though, to just talk the whole thing out. No interruptions, no sarcastic little comebacks. So Merry just keeps going.

She voices her fears that Laura's really dead, lost forever to some hunter or rogue Omega - although how she would fall to someone so much weaker is an unacceptable thought. Tells her uncle how much she _dislikes_ (can't hate family, after all, especially not when he's the only one left) Derek for dragging her back. Meredith even explains what she would do in the same situation - run to the other side of the country and never look back.

By the time she leaves, with a simple hand on his shoulder, it takes all of Peter's considerably lacking patience to not rip her throat out.

OX

Derek's pacing (_his favorite past time_, she thinks) when Merry gets back to the ruins. She's carrying several bags of groceries; just a few things, water bottles and pre-packaged foods that are easily heated up over the propane stove she also purchased. She drops the bags on the table.

"Pretty lacking day, to be honest Der. She visited Uncle Pete Friday night, bought coffee in the café by the sheriff's station, and then left town. Oh!" she whirls around and clasps her hands together. "I met this super nice old lady in the café; she's looking for a renter for her attic apartment. Her name's Nancy, very 'takes no shit' kinda gal. Likes chinos." she finishes with a wry grin.

Derek grunts a response before he stops pacing, turns to face his sister, and folds his arms behind his back. He still looks as tired as he did yesterday, if not more so now. Still, he's got that serious look on his face, the one that never means well for their family.

"What'd you find?" she asks softly, good mood all but gone. Her mouth creases downward into a frown as she hunches in on herself, tugging her green army jacket closer. The air is so tense; why didn't she notice that when she first walked in?

Now, he's always been good with his words. He could talk himself out of so much shit, so many bad situations. But telling Meredith that he found - he found half of their sister, well he's not sure how he's gonna say it. See, he gets angry. Maybe it's because of the whole werewolf thing or maybe he's just always been a naturally angry guy, but he'd rather force a situation than talk it out. His sister, on the other hand . . . she gets quiet. Anxious, sad and depressed. She'll be nervous like she was six years ago. He wrestles with himself for half a minute before words start tumbling out.

"I found her. Laura. She- It looks like hunters." Derek can't quite bring himself to tell her the details. Merry's quick to put her back to him, to hide the tears spilling from her eyes. The salt is bitter on the back of his tongue, but he rushes forward. Grabs her shoulders and forces her to face him again. One hand is pressed to her mouth in an effort to stifle her cries, and Derek's not sure how to comfort her.

Laura is - was always better with the emotional stuff. He could beat away her problems and battle any threat, but this overwhelming sadness - he doesn't understand it. There's nothing for him to do. Not yet, anyway.

"I'll - we'll find them, and we will destroy them. Together. Because it's just us now, and we have to stick together." He takes a deep breath and draws Meredith into a careful hug. "It's what pack does, takes care of each other."

"Pack," she echoes, voice wavering. Her nose is running, eyes rimmed red; with weak arms, she hugs her brother back. She shakes in the circle of his arms.

Derek repeats himself, voice firm. It's the most binding word he knows, something tougher than family, almost. It's the strongest form of protection he can think of; something to tie him and his sister closer together, to give them an even stronger need for revenge.

It's a cold comfort.

XO

**okies well here we are! a liiiittttlee later than i wanted but still relatively on time! i'm really hoping you guys are liking this :)**

**oh yes, one more thing. i'm almost positive romance will eventually happen, but it will be soooo slowburn, and i don't think it'll happen until s2. is it worth it to put romance as a genre? (i'm also almost positive it'd be stiles but whoooo knooowws)**

**so yes! drop me a line, tell me your thoughts, you know the drill!**

**~tor**


	3. new pad, new school, new life

It's close to two in the morning when Derek lugs the body home. He's respectful enough to have covered her with a tarp before bringing her back. Apparently not careful enough, if the smallest glimpse of lily-white flesh Meredith can see between the black plastic edges.

"Sorry it took so long; local law enforcement were out in full force." Derek huffs as he places his cargo in front of the porch. He shifts a little before continuing. "They . . . already found the other half, before I could."

Meredith nods. "What are we going to do with . . . her?" she asks, arms crossed. She's doing that more and more, she realizes. Probably an unconscious habit picked up from her darling brother.

Derek simply hands her a shovel.

By work's end, the sky is turning peachy-pink. He probably could have done it faster by himself, but Meredith digs with purpose. She doesn't have half of his supernaturally enhanced strength; it's her anger, her resentment for whoever did this to her own personal hero, that makes her power through the painful blisters forming on her palms. So the Hale siblings bury their sister together, next to the house she had so dearly loved.

She stands to the side while Derek adds the finishing touch - a small plant with purple flowers planted off to the side. Connected is a rope that he carefully shifts into the familiar spiral shape. It's an old werewolf tradition; ushering the deceased into the next life in their true form. The wolfsbane helped force the shift in the body; in Laura's case, she would become a large, black wolf. Maybe that helped some, knowing that it wasn't her sister's face under all that dirt. Or, well, maybe not.

Rituals complete, Merry turns back to the house. She fully intends to curl up under the table (something about the small spaces gives her comfort, makes her feel more comfortable in the echoing ruins) and sleep away the nightmares. She starts thinking of the herbs that would help protect her from bad dreams; valerian root would be useful in a tea, but it tastes awful._ Hmm, maybe sweet marjoram and some kind of hops . . ._ she thinks; the books would have to be consulted before anything, she decides with an unconscious nod.

When she's bedding down in a sweet-smelling comforter, Derek turns in his sleeping bag to face her little den under the table.

"I found something. When I went back. Tracks that don't belong to . . . humans."

Meredith twists around in a flurry of blankets and hair. "You mean it was a _werewolf_?"

"Yeah. Which also means there's a new Alpha running around." He shifts a little more, pillows his head on his arm. "And there might be a witness."

Now his sister sits straight up, and bangs her head on the underside of the table. With a curse, she rubs at the sore spot before dragging herself (and her blankets) next to her brother. "What do you mean a _witness_? Someone watched Laura get straight-up_ mauled_ and did nothing?"

With a sigh, Derek sits up and reaches next to him for his leather jacket. From it's pocket, he withdraws a little L-shaped container. Tapping the label, he hands it to Merry.

"Scott McCall?" she asks incredulously, eyebrows furrowing. "Who the hell is that?"

"Dunno. From the stench of sweat and weeks-old AXE body spray, though, I'm guessing some kid." Taking back the inhaler, her brother looks up at her from under his eyelashes before continuing. "We'll have to keep an eye on him."

Meredith sighs before flopping backwards onto her blankets. "Of course we do."

OX

The next couple of days pass by in a blur. Derek sends her back to Bayview to gather any necessary things he might have missed in the initial scramble for Beacon Hills. Meanwhile, he makes arrangements with Nancy (the "takes no shit" little old lady Merry met in the cafè) to rent out her attic apartment. A quick look around makes it obvious that the place is a little less than legal; the ceiling is little more than clapboard covering insulation and the walls are simply whitewashed. Still, the little loft-like space, with the sleeping area sectioned off with furniture and the bathroom tucked into a corner with only a curtain for a door, is more than his sister has now. He hates it, personally; the place makes his skin crawl. But she needs more protection from the elements than he does, and she definitely doesn't have the temperament to live without running water. So he rents the space and explains, for the hundredth time, that he's not a drug dealer.

This isn't the only pleasant surprise she comes back to; with some of that patented Hale charm and a mostly-true sob story about a suddenly missing sister, Derek had managed to jump start the process of transferring her to the local high school. It warms her heart that he's trying to make this new life as normal as possible. Y'know, considering that her brother's a werewolf and her sister was recently deceased by supernatural means.

Meredith busies herself with unpacking and setting up wards in her new home while Derek takes a shower (he was starting to get a little ripe, even to her dull human senses). After consulting one of the age-old books, she's sprinkling rosemary-infused salt water around the large window next to her bed, to conceal her presence. More saltwater and a burning bundle of sage, pine, and lavender ensure the wards keeping most things that wish her ill out. Her final defense is a heavy bar of mountain ash wood, to place over the door in extreme cases.

Derek wrinkles his nose at all of this, especially the dried wolfsbane hanging from the ceiling. "Is all this really necessary?"

Meredith's eyes widen. "Of course! This is my new house, and I need to feel safe here. Especially if there's an _Alpha_ hanging around! You don't like it, go back to the mansion."

Obviously thinking of the burnt out shell, her brother's face twists into a grimace. He then promptly throws himself rather heavily into one of the two armchairs that serve as her new living room. Finished with her warding, Merry heads to the stove to make some coffee.

"I met Scott." Derek says, tone light and conversational.

"Oh?" she questions, just as lighthearted.

Rolling his eyes at her obvious curiosity, he continues. "He's just like we thought; a kid. Although . . ." The brunette turns around to face him, leans back against the cheap plastic counter and folds her arms against her chest, eyebrows raised. "He smelled like - like a wolf." Meredith's jaw drops.

"A teenage werewolf? Oh great!" the teenager in front of him throws her hands into the air. "As if a rogue Alpha wasn't enough we have a brand-spankin'-new Beta too! Does he know about you? Us?"

Since his sister has obviously forgotten about the coffee maker beeping away behind her, Derek gets up and starts preparing two mugs. He likes his black, with two sugars; his sister likes lots of cream. "What was I supposed to say? 'Welcome to the pack?'"

"It would've been a good place to start!"

He shoves a cup of pale coffee at her. "He had a friend with him; a _human_ friend. It wasn't the right time." Pale green eyes cut to her face. "I was hoping you could help build a bridge of trust between us two."

Frustrated, Merry takes a deep gulp of her coffee and grimaces at the burn. "I'm gonna need something stronger than coffee to get through this school year."

XO

And so, Meredith Hale finds herself sitting in the main office of Beacon Hills High bright and early Thursday morning. The chair is uncomfortable, hard plastic underneath her, and she can't help but wonder why there couldn't be any padding. It's nerve-wracking. All these thoughts keep running through her mind, all these worries that people will still remember her name and her history, that they'll do nothing but point and whisper behind her back.

When the secretary cheerily calls her name, Merry stands so fast she almost wipes herself out with her satchel by smacking it against the back of her knees. She goes over herself in her mind's eye (_long brown hair, pretty face, red cardigan, denim skirt, grey thigh highs, black boots_) before deeming herself acceptable enough for the general teenage population.

"We're so glad to have you back, Meredith! I'm sure this year will be simply _superb_!" the secretary chatters happily as she leads the new student down the hall. Quick as a flash, the woman stops in her tracks and turns to face Merry. "Oh! I almost forgot!" From the pile of papers in her hands, she pulls three sheets. "Here's your schedule, your locker number and combination, and a map of the building." With a blinding smile, the blonde turns around again and continues down the hall. "Your books won't be in until Monday, but I'm sure your teachers will be understanding. And here we are!"

The overly excited woman knocks on the door before flinging it open. "Excuse me, Mr Edwards. We've got a new student!"

The heavy set, balding man sighs and adjusts his glasses. "Of course we do. Well, what's your name?" He barely gives her a second before continuing. "Get on with it! Kafka isn't going to wait all period!"

Giving her best smile (one sure to show perhaps too many teeth), she chimes "I'm Meredith Hale."

Oh, and judging by the two panicked teenage boys (one with too much hair and the other with not enough), there's her werewolf.

OX

**ooooohhhhhhhh my goooooodddddddd, i can't believe i just wrote that. amazing. LITERALLY i'm amazed right now this is the fastest i've ever written i'm so excited. however there is a little down side to this suuuuppper quick update - instead of the week or so wait you've all come to know and enjoy, i probably won't be able to update until next monday or even until the weekend. D:**

**so! please review, tell me how excited you are that we FINALLY get to the meat of the show! tell me you're favorite episode! favorite character! scenes you would like to see happen! predictions for next season! i don't care, just drop me a line!**

**before i forget, there's a polyvore account link on my profile which will have her outfits (obviously) since i'm trying to avoid having all the attention on her. also! i'm posting a rough floor plan of the new pad (oohh also a quick introduction to my idea of witchcraft) to my tumblr! which is also linked on my profile.**

**yours,  
tor**


	4. just your average teenage werewolf

The day passes by slowly enough. Beyond that initial sense of panic, her new friends haven't paid her much attention. The one with the buzz cut (she supposes she'll have to figure out which one is Scott McCall soon, or this could get annoying) had snuck a look over his shoulder, to which she had smiled blindly. Could've been because she was new meat coming later than usual in the school year or maybe his wolfy senses were kicking in, catching the slightest hint of something weird (IE her dear brother's scent, which would smell strongly of werewolf - if the Beta even knew what _that_ would smell like). She kinda hopes his puppy-like friend is Scott; it would just be too coincidental for the new guy to physically look so much like a dog.

Alas, nothing more comes from the class. At the bell, she wanders to geometry, and then a public speaking course she's not looking forward too. Settling moodily into her seat in the middle of the rows of desks, Merry wonders if struggling with art wouldn't have been a better choice for her fine arts credit.

The teacher, with his slightly too long hair and scruffy face, is sort of cute looking. That's always a bonus. With a wide smile full of perfectly straight, white teeth, the man claps his hands together; his shoulders pull at the fabric of his vest (a _vest_, in this day and age!) in a wonderfully distracting way.

"Alright class, I'm Mr Donovan! We're gonna have a pretty easy day today; I won't make you step behind the podium just yet." He smacks the wooden stand behind him affectionately. "So just introduce yourself to your neighbor; baby steps and all that."

With a quiet smile of her own, because she can just see what kind of teacher Mr Donovan is, Meredith turns to the kid sitting on her left. She's surprised when she turns around to find a petite blonde glaring at him.

"Would you mind terribly moving? I'm just _dying_ to know the new girl!" she says, voice syrupy sweet. The kid nods dumbly before gathering his crap and moving up a row.

It's not like people had been outright avoiding her, but they definitely weren't _fighting_ over sitting next to her. The gesture would be flattering, if her new seatmate wasn't so obvious in her ulterior motives. But, smiling in satisfaction that her orders had been followed, the girl sits herself primly next to Merry.

"I'm Chelsea Cunningham; it's so nice to finally meet you!" she greets, hand stretched over the small space between desks. Now that she's face level, Meredith can see the smallest of gap between her pearly front teeth.

"Meredith Hale. Pleasure's all mine, I assure you." She's a little weirded out, but shakes the other girl's hand anyway. It wouldn't do to be intentionally rude to someone with obvious social power.

"My aunt brought you to english this morning. I meant to introduce myself after class, but," she giggles, eyes crinkling with the force of her cheer, "Lydia had an emergency."

Dark brows furrowed in confusion, Merry asks "Oh, is she alright?" It's common courtesy, if nothing else. An automatic reaction, almost.

Another giggle comes from between Chelsea's pouty pink lips. "Oh yeah, don't even worry about it! She's all good now." She opens her dark eyes wide, and Merry can see the slightest hint of deviousness in the darkly lined depths. "She can't wait to meet you, of course."

Meredith gives a noncommittal hum in lieu of response. She's sort of expected to be gawked at; the fire hadn't been too long ago, most definitely not far enough in the past for her generation to forget about the mass funeral. But she can't stop the flutter of hope rising in her chest; maybe these girls just honestly want to be her friends. Which, while imprudent in the long run, would be nice.

Chelsea grins again, all traces of deceptiveness gone. "Great! You can eat lunch with us. Now, where did you move from?"

XO

Lunch, as it turns out, is the next period. Her new friend guides her to the lunch room, and then through the food line. With Chelsea rushing her, Merry only grabs a lackluster-looking salad, carton of milk, and apple before the blonde is directing her with pointy elbows to a table in the middle of the room. There are already a few kids there, most noticeably too girls. One has long, reddish hair and is dressed (from what she can see above the table) impeccably. Her companion, with curly dark locks and the palest skin Meredith's seen this side of California, is mid-laugh when Chelsea interrupts them.

"Hey Lydia! Guess who I ran into." her voice is pitched oddly; quite obviously, Chelsea's trying to gain the redhead's approval. Which means she's the queen bee, and most certainly not someone Meredith wants to mess with.

"I'm Meredith Hale." She gives the duo a blinding smile, and reaches one slightly tanned hand out to them.

The redhead raises one neatly groomed eyebrow while her dark haired friend returns the smile, and shakes her hand. "I'm Allison Argent and this is Lydia Martin. Please excuse her complete lack of manners."

Merry's not even sure she heard the other girl's name correctly. Blood freezes in her veins, an icy trickle making its way through her whole body. Mechanically, she completes the handshake. Her voice sounds far away when she says "Oh, yeah, don't worry about it. Nice to meet you both."

There had never been_ proof_ that the Argents had been behind the destruction of her family. But it was general consensus that, as one of the best hunting families in America, and especially when they had a base so close to Beacon Hills, that they were the ones who had done the 'exterminating.' Now there was one in front of her and she should call Derek, she should let him know,_ right now_. And oh God, what if this kid was already one of them? What age did they start training? Oh no, she probably blew the whole thing and now_ Argents_ are coming after them

"I think . . . I think I have to go. Sorry." Meredith mumbles, voice still far off.

The redhead - Lydia - gives the most lady-like snort Merry's ever had. "And where will you sit? Take a seat, new girl. Tell us where you're from, because I'm almost positive I've heard your name before."

Chelsea grins triumphantly from besides her, before taking the last two seats at the table.

See, Lydia's not queen bee of Beacon Hills High for nothing. Sure, having the hottest, most popular guy as a boyfriend and killer fashion taste helps her keep her spot. But she knows how to play high school politics._ Keep your friends close and your enemies closer_ and all that jazz. And little Miss Hale, with her casually cool outfit and pretty, perpetually smiling face, well. She could be an issue.

Besides, Lydia had seen that vulnerability on the slightly taller girl's face (she was only 5'5 or so without those cute little boots, the redhead thinks absentmindedly). She can use that, get the new girl well under her fashionable heel before thoughts of being in charge start crowding her pretty head. Chelsea was starting to get a little too uppity, anyway.

"Did you grow up in Bayview?" she asks, interrupting Meredith's (rather boring) tale of life in the small town about five hours away.

"Ah, no, not- not really." her face flushes. "I uh, I'm from Beacon Hills, originally."

Lydia's grin grows. She _knew_ the name had sounded familiar. Quickly searching her expansive memory, however, she can't - oh no. _That's_ why she remembered the Hales. Wicked grin gone, she's just about to change the subject when Allison cuts in.

"That's so cool! Why'd you move away?" the brunette doesn't mean anything by the question, of course, but, still. Merry's anger is growing from a quiet little wisp to a full fledged forest fire.

"My family died."

A shocked look finds its way across the other three girls' faces. The rest of the table, mostly rowdy athletes, doesn't spare them so much as a speck of attention.

"Well that's depressing. New topic! Do you have plans after school?" It's the least Lydia can do, really, offer her companionship and cute boys to ogle, since she's the one who started the whole investigation.

With a quick shake of her head, Meredith digs into her salad. Chelsea tries chatting with the redhead, obviously not getting the hint that she is unwelcome at the popular table. Those two sufficiently distracted, Allison leans over the table to the other brunette.

"I'm sorry, I - I didn't know. I'm sorry."

Merry just nods her head and eats her food.

OX

After school plans with Lydia Martin, as it turned out, was watching the high school lacrosse team practice.

"It's not practice, Meredith; it's a _scrimmage_." Lydia had said, as if that was supposed to explain everything.

"Basically it's to see who's good enough for first line." Allison says, quirking a smile. She's trying hard to make the other new girl feel as comfortable as possible after that disastrous lunch.

Merry gives a distracted nod. If she focuses a little, she can see - yes! Scott McCall and his little friend (she silently curses her brother for not giving her a more thorough description of the new Beta; "kid, weird hair" wasn't much to go on!) are also on the field.

"That's my boyfriend, Jackson; he's captain of the _highly_ successful lacrosse team. ." Lydia points out a tall guy with gelled hair.

_Impractical for a sports game_, Merry thinks. "Cute," she says instead.

The coach decides to blow his whistle, starting the game. It doesn't escape her notice that one of the boys she's supposed to be spying on (is that even the right term?) has taken a seat on the bench. It's the one with the short hair, from this morning. The kid has the decency to flush when Meredith catches him looking longingly in their direction. That means, of course, that the other one is in the game. There aren't any numbers for her to keep track of, unfortunately.

Eyes back on the field, she winces when one of the players is brutally knocked down by who she thinks is Lydia's boyfriend, judging by the satisfied smirk on the queen bee next to her. Her ears prick up a little when she hears Allison, who's on her other side, mutter under her breath.

"C'mon Scott. Get up, get up!"

Oh no. Meredith smothers a dark chuckle; this is just_ too funny_; the hunter's daughter rooting for a newly turned werewolf. "Of course, life can't ever be easy."

"What?" Allison asks, tearing her eyes from the field.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." Merry shoots her what's supposed to be a comforting smile before turning back to the game. She's just in time to catch the beginning of the next match. If she's matching the bodies on the field with the brief glimpses in her head, Scott's going up against Jackson. Should be interesting, judging by the taller boy's aggressiveness on the field earlier.

She's not disappointed; the Beta seems to be adjusting to his new-found agility and grace well, if the way he dances around the other team is any indication. And oh, that_ back flip_ over the other players! Yes, she's found her werewolf.

Lydia's frown does not escape her notice, though. With the importance the girl seemed to place on the _winning_ lacrosse team, Merry thinks she should appreciate having such talent on the team. Her boyfriend keeps his crown, and she keeps hers by extension. Although Meredith can see Lydia dropping anything keeping her from popularity; hot boyfriend included.

"You alright?" she asks, putting just enough interest behind her words to sound like she means it.

Turning bright eyes to the brunette, Lydia smiles wide. "Of course!" She moves to stand beside Allison, who she then links arms with. Tossing her hair over her shoulder, the redhead casually throws a question to the girl left behind her and her friend.

"So, Miss Hale, what're you doing tomorrow night?"

XO

**surprise! so one of my essays got moved to being due monday, and here i am! it was literally painful to not write for almost a week, haha. there's so much i can't wait to write that this practically wrote itself. it's also, coincidentally, the longest chapter yet :D i'm hoping for future chapters to also be of this length (around two thousand words), but we'll see. **

**alright, well, that's it i think. lemme know if lydia or allison seem particularly _not themselves, _ie out of character. i'm super nervous about lydia; i wanted her to come off as a little manipulative, a little sincere, you know? and allison is clueless, as always. hmmm, chelsea is not going to be a _huge _part of the story; she's based off the girl we see lydia walking with in the very first episode. side note - i can't believe i'm not even done with the pilot and there's still another chapter on it left! amazing haha**

**right then! read, review, talk to me about season 3b (did you see the time traveling shot on the teen wolf twitter? :O) have you gotten snow yet? do you _like _snow? i just want to know everything about you guys haha!**

**(and since i've been negligent - disclaimer: teen wolf does not belong to me; meredith hale does, however.)**

**see you next time,  
tor**


	5. by the light of the dark black sky

The apartment is dark when Meredith finally gets home. Lacrosse practice had run pretty late, after the scrimmage was done; the sun was low in the sky by the time she pulled out of Beacon Hills High. After that she had stopped at the grocery store for a frozen TV dinner; at that point the moon, almost full, was peeking above the horizon. With a muffled sigh, she fumbles for the switch to turn on the lamp sitting precariously on the kitchen table.

Her dinner isn't in the microwave for two minutes when there's a tapping from the large, triangular window in her room. Frowning, because why can't her brother just use the _door_, she flips on the multitude of fairy lights in the bedroom. Then she heaves the window open, letting Derek in with a blast of chilly fall wind.

"Did you find him?" he asks, impatience already present in his voice.

Leading him back to the kitchen with a roll of her eyes, Meredith says "Of course I did. Have you eaten?"

An answering grunt signals that no, dinner hasn't exactly been on his mind. She takes the time to pop another meal in the microwave, nearly burning her fingers with how hot the first one is.

"Is he keeping a low profile?" Derek demands as he throws himself into the armchair he seems to favor; she supposes the brown leather recliner is more comfortable than the purple one next to it.

"Mmm, depends on what you consider a 'low profile,' Der." Meredith stretches on her tippy toes to get two plate and a couple of glasses. Light eyes glance at the broody man sitting not ten feet away. "There's a girl; and she's, well her family- She's an Argent."

Derek's reaction is immediate; he launches himself out of his seat, and begins prowling the small living space. He pauses before the framed Manhattan subway map she had just hung on the wall this morning. With a fleeting thought, she hopes he takes his anger outside, before he trashes the place. To her surprise, he merely sets his shoulders, hands crossed behind his back, and turns around again to face her.

"How sure are you that she's one of them?"

"Uh, pretty damn sure; she introduced herself." Meredith scoffs, grabbing the second plate of food from the microwave. Derek's probably not going to want to eat now, but, well, habits and all that. She sets both plates on the round table.

Her brother lets loose a growl of frustration, and runs a large hand through carefully styled hair. "Tomorrow's the full moon," he mutters, most likely only to himself.

Merry hums in acknowledgement. "Scott's not ready for it. He can barely keep his senses under control now; I'd hate to see him in full-on werewolf mode."

Derek takes a moment to think. He'd been hoping to ease the Beta into this, to maybe run him around the Preserve like Derek himself had, when he first turned. With Argents hanging around, though . . . precautions would have to be taken. He spares a glance at his sister. She looks so _normal_, puttering around the tiny kitchen. He's sorry for dragging her into this, for bringing her back to this town where nothing but bad things seem to happen. But he needs her; for morale support, for someone who _gets_ all this, and even for whatever help her paltry herbs can give.

"I'll approach him tomorrow night, when he won't have a choice but to believe me. And then we'll hide in the cellar until the sun rises." He doesn't comment on the frown working it's way across Meredith's face. "How much mountain ash can you get your hands on?"

Sitting down to her meal, Merry makes a vague gesture for her brother to take a seat and eat. When he sits, not touching the (admittedly unappetizing) food before him, she closes her eyes with a sigh and leans back in her chair. "Unfortunately, not much on such short notice. I don't think Scott would be too willing to go to some creepy basement in the middle of the woods with you, either."

Derek scoffs, mind made up. This plan'll work; it has to. "He won't have a choice with the moon tugging at his gut."

Forking some of the pasta in her mouth, she chews before continuing. "Maybe if he wasn't so fixated on this girl. There's a party tomorrow, and he's taking her, Allison Argent."

"So I should let him hurt her instead? What about all the kids around him, huh?" He's frustrated, obviously. There doesn't seem to be a way of convincing - wait. Suddenly there's a gleam in his eyes; Merry knows it too well.

"Der, no." She warns, meal entirely forgotten. "If he even puts so much as one _claw_ on her, they'll be gunning for his head."

"As if they're not already hunting him?" he snorts unattractively. "No, let him get scared of hurting his little girlfriend. If he doesn't run on his own, we can chase him out. If he does, we show him he can trust us - take the girl home." He's determined to follow through with this plan.

Meredith disapproves, but he won't listen to her. "Good thing I scored an invite, huh?"

XO

Friday passes in a haze of nervous energy. She keeps an even closer eye on Scott, although she doesn't notice any especially aggressive behavior. Not that she had been expecting much, so early in the day, but it was better to be prepared. Merry had come to school ready to face a bloodthirsty werewolf, and took the necessary precautions. In one of the side pockets on her bag was a small plastic baggie of powdered wolfsbane, and in another a mixture of some of her precious mountain ash powder and sand. It wasn't enough wolfsbane to kill him, just to stun him, especially when it was blown straight in his face. The ash mixture was to lock his wolfy ass in a classroom until Derek could get there. These are her last resorts, though; provided Scott can keep it together for eight hours.

She's so intent on the Beta that Meredith almost misses the peering looks his friend shoots her in english. Hours of social network stalking found a lackluster Facebook profile belonging to one 'Stiles Stilinski'; it was private, just as Scott's had been. She's not sure if the other human is piecing things together (which wouldn't be too much of a stretch; teenage boys seemed to be abnormally accepting of the supernatural) or if it's just the allure of being the new girl that draws his attention to her.

Chelsea gives her the cold shoulder in public speaking. And while Mr Donovan is cute enough to keep her distracted, she's a little miffed the blonde has so quickly turned her back. In the back of her mind, Merry absently thinks that Lydia must've told her to back off. The redhead _had_ seemed particularly annoyed with the other girl at lunch yesterday.

At lunch she picks at another salad, stomach too full of butterflies to properly appreciate the leafy greens in front of her. Allison had waved her over from the lunch line, so Merry decides she should probably at least _try_ to make nice and pay attention to the conversation flowing between the other people at the table.

" - so you're coming over this afternoon right?" Lydia asks, arched eyebrow almost daring her to say no. Thank God, she's snapped to attention just in time. The last thing (well maybe not quite the _last_ thing, really,) she wants to do today is spend hours primping for a party she's probably not going to spend half that time at.

"Oh, sorry Lyd. My brother's pulling the guardian card; he's insisting on driving me to and from the party." she explains, eyes innocently wide. It's not exactly a lie; picking her up was part of Derek's plan. It was dropping her off he's sure to grump about.

"I didn't know you had a brother!" Allison chirps, taking attention away from Lydia's sure-to-be-snappy remark. "What's he like?"

Quirking a grin at her salad, Merry just says "He's Derek. He's annoying and a little controlling and sometimes he can even be funny. He's just my big brother. We might not always get along, but it's always family first, you know?"

There's a brief silence. Looking up from her food, Merry blinks owlishly at her "friends." She's just quick enough to catch the tail end of Lydia's eye roll.

"You guys must really love each other." Allison says, voice soft; her mind is obviously on yesterday's revelation. "I've always wanted siblings."

Meredith clears her throat, cheeks growing red with embarrassment. "Of course we love each other." she says primly. "But don't go wishing for a baby brother or sister; they're nothing but trouble."

"Well if your big bad brother won't let you be an adult, you have to come early." Lydia says, ruining the moment. "Allison's waiting for _Scott_," her voice drips with disdain before brightening. "And you can properly meet Jackson!" The smile the other girl flashes is blinding.

While Jackson Whittemore seemed to make up a large part of Lydia's life (and conversation, if the eye roll Allison shared with the group was any indication,) he seems to be nothing more than a ghost. Oh sure, he could be seen kissing his girlfriend in the hallways, and Merry had even caught a glimpse of him in class once, but she'd never actually _met_ the guy! Lydia explained away his absence by saying the lacrosse team was eating up all of his time. Meredith could appreciate his dedication.

"We'll see what he says," she says with a smile.

OX

Long, pale fingers tap a restless beat on the leather of Stiles's steering wheel. The whole theory is crazy, outrageous even. Probably enough to get him thrown in a psych ward. If he was anyone else, if he hadn't taken quite so much adderall, maybe he'd stop looking. Take the bite at face value; some wild dog, maybe. Then he'd just walk away. But he can't, because this is _Scott_, his best friend, his almost-brother. And Stiles is scared for him.

So here he is, practically stalking this chick. Not like Lydia-stalking, where he just wanted to get to know her and make sure she's alright but like_ investigative_ stalking. Although, if he's right, she might not be as innocent as she seems. Either way, he's getting to the bottom of this mess.

It's in the midst of these thoughts that his target walks out of the school building. One slim hand is digging through the brown bag she used as a backpack, probably looking for the car keys he filched during gym class. Not an easy feat, breaking into the girls' locker room, but doable; and he's hoping the risk is worth the information he stands to gain.

It's hard to imagine her as a werewolf. She looks so_ ordinary_, in an over-sized sweater and tan pants, hair thrown up in a ponytail. And then seeing her with Lydia at lunch, the way she had laughed and blushed with the other girls - he was starting to think this was a bad idea. _Too late for second guessing_, he thinks grimly. Then he throws open the door of his Jeep and rushes to the little convertible six parking spots down.

"Hey, uh, Meredith! I think you dropped these!" he yells, shaking the keys in the air by the hot pink wristband. The skinny girl whips around to face him, eyes wide in surprise.

"Oh, wow, thanks!" she says, reaching out to grab them; he hands the keys over easily enough. "I don't know how I would've explained this to my brother." she chuckles, absently scratching at the back of her head. "I guess I owe you one . . . ?" Right, she probably has no idea who he is!

"Stiles! I'm Stiles Stilinski," he exclaims, voice too loud for how close they're standing. Awkwardly, he shoves a hand between them. With another laugh, she takes it, although she's quick to let go.

"Well, I'll be seeing you, huh?" she prods, obviously trying to get out of the parking lot.

"Uh, wait! I was wondering if you could answer some questions, about the - the Preserve! I'm doing a report on the local history here for Westover, and I figured what with your family livi-" shit, _shit_ he did _not_ just bring up her dead family. He knows he's gone down the wrong route the instant her face, previously humoring him with a smile, closes off. The Hale girl furrows dark eyebrows, and suddenly he can see the similarities between Derek and her. She echoes her brother in the stern set of her jaw, the way her eyes take a familiar blankness right in front of him. There's a sheen of tears, too. "I- shit, I'm sorry, I should go."

Stiles doesn't handle crying girls well, and the fact that _he's_ the one who caused Meredith Hale to think about the eight family members lost in a fire six years ago - well. He's already half turned around when she calls out to him.

"Wait, it's, it's fine." her scratchy voice betrays her, says it's not alright at all. "What sort of questions did you have?"

His jaw almost drops, because if he was in the same situation, with someone dredging up his mom, he's pretty sure he'd sock them in the jaw before talking. Gathering himself, Stiles launches into words. "I read somewhere that the Hales were one of the founding families. Have they always lived so far out of town?"

Meredith's eyes dart to the side, and a frown works it's way across her mouth. "Hmm, I think so. We've always been pretty private."

Stiles nods, like any of this is important. "Right, right. Uh The books don't say what kind of conditions the original settlement was in. Are there any records or family tales about the early days?"

The girl smiles at him; with the way her teeth peek out from under her lips, it almost looks vicious. "There were plenty of wolves in the beginning. So many that most people gave the place up for lost."

He can feel all the blood rushing out of his face. He's panicking, and he's _so_ aware of it. She knows he knows, or at least that he's digging. "Wolves, huh? G-Good thing there haven't been wolves in California for, like, sixty years."

"No packs, that's true; but never discount the migratory wolf. Anyway, the Hales were very good hunters; killed or scared away most of the wolf packs in the area." the smile slips from her face, although a predatory gleam has since replaced the tears. "It's why there's a wolf on our family crest."

Stiles clears his throat nervously; the parking lot has mostly emptied by now, the last of the buses just turning out of the driveway. Best finish up, unless he wants to become werewolf chow. "Very, uh, informative conversation, Mer. My history grade can't thank you enough!" The nickname slips out of his mouth casually.

She grins again, a perfectly normal smile for a perfectly normal girl. "Glad I could help, Stiles! I'll see you at the party tonight?"

Brown eyes wide, because tonight's the _full moon_ and Scott's going to a _party_, the boy yelps "Yeah! Sure! See you there!" And then he's running headlong for his Jeep.

The instant he's out of her sight, the smile slips from Merry's face, and she calls Derek.

XO

Meredith frowns a little at her reflection in the visor mirror. Objectively, she knew she looked good, although maybe even a little too dressy for a high school house party. Not much skin was showing, save for a small expanse of smooth stomach from her upper rib cage to her midriff, thanks to a red crop top and high waisted acid wash jeans. The leather jacket and suede wedges kept it casual, she had thought before leaving the apartment. For humor's sake, her eyes were lined in such a way that they looked extra wolf-like, especially under the moonlight.

"Stop admiring yourself and get_ in there_." her brother huffs from the driver's seat. "And don't get drunk." It's definitely not his favorite sight, his little sister all dressed up for a party. High school wasn't that long ago for him, after all. He couldn't very well order her to change, though, so he supposes he'll have to deal with it. At least until he can give her a strict, disapproving lecture tomorrow. _After the full moon_, he promises himself.

Closing the visor with a snap, she opens the door. "Right. I'll leave the side gate open for you to creep your way into." And then she's gone, striding confidently towards the open front door of Lydia's sprawling house.

She's maybe half an hour early; not quite the time Lydia wanted her there, but close enough that Merry's not too worried. She stands at the doorstep for a quick minute, unsure if she should just walk into a strange home. The choice is made for her when a male voice tells her in no uncertain terms to get out of the way. Stepping to the side, she lets the blonde haired lacrosse player otherwise known as Jackson Whittemore into the house. He's hauling a keg over one shoulder.

Lydia is just behind him, wiping at smudged lipstick. Obviously she had walked into a heavy make out session before the partying. The redhead gives her a nonchalant once over, gaze lingering on the gold hinged necklace clasped around her throat. "I'll be borrowing that next time." she says in way of greeting. "Come in; you can help make the punch."

The Martin house is just as extravagant inside as it looks from the outside. Meredith's head turns from side to side, taking in all the little details of the kitchen. Absentmindedly, she finishes pouring the last of the vodka into the punch bowl. The liquid it contains is kind of like a neon pink, thanks to the copious amounts of watermelon and strawberry schnapps, and then the pink lemonade Lydia had instructed her to splash in as well.

The ladle is snatched out of her grasp. Facing her assailant, more than prepared to tell the jerk off, the words die before getting out. Jackson is pouring himself a sizable cup of the drink.

Taking a sip (and not even wincing; _dude's a pro_, she thinks appreciatively), he starts talking. "So you're Lydia's latest pet project, huh? 'M Jackson." He tilts his cup towards her before draining it.

"Meredith Hale." she says, nose crinkling with disgust at his rudeness. "Lydia's told me practically everything about you."

The teenager gives a satisfied smirk, and Merry thinks he looks almost fond. "She likes to brag."

"As if you're not just as lucky," she snorts, pouring herself a glass of punch.

It's not easy, talking to Jackson, at least not at first. But he's familiar, with a personality like every jock she's ever met. Plus, he's snarky, and she can get down with making snide comments about whoever walks through the door. She doesn't have to be nice all the time. Unfortunately, their fun doesn't last too much longer. When there's a steady stream of people flowing through Lydia's house to the backyard, the girl herself appears in front of them, shrieking (probably unintentionally, but Merry's not too sure) about how the punch isn't outside by now. Giving her friend (_is it safe to call the queen bee that?_ she wonders briefly) a guilty grin, the brunette lugs the punch bowl to a table outside.

The party really starts flowing then, more and more people filling the back yard. She hadn't thought that many kids went to Beacon Hills, to be honest. When she gets back from refilling her drink, Scott and Allison are there. She tips her cup in greeting to the other brunette, who wiggles her fingers in response. And there, just slipping in from the carelessly unlocked gate, is her brother. His disapproving stare is heavy. Meredith smirks and raises her glass to him, too. Rolling his green eyes, Derek focuses intently on Scott instead. That lasts all of ten seconds before he's scampering up Lydia's roof. Imitating her brother, Merry rolls her eyes and searches the crowd for important people.

Lydia and Jackson seemed pretty occupied, basically having sex in a shadowy corner. The redhead seems to notice Merry's gaze, and throws a careless smirk over her boyfriend's shoulder. Arching an eyebrow, the darker haired girl chuckles into her cup.

Scott and Allison are also getting cozy, although definitely not to the extent the power couple was. It strikes her, suddenly, that she's a reasonably attractive teenage girl in the midst of a party, she's drinking, and yet she's still alone. Deciding to change that, Merry turns to the nearest single dude (thankfully he's pretty cute; all tan skin and soulful brown eyes), and pulls him into the thick crowd of dancing bodies.

The fun lasts maybe another twenty minutes before Scott bugs out. She can just see him past her partner's head, watches his face contort in pain. She makes nice with the guy she had grabbed, smacks a kiss on his cheek and follows Allison and the werewolf out of the party. As she walks she types out a message on her phone.

**_S out front A followed_**

She barely hits send before someone roughly grabs her arm.

"What's wrong with Scott?" Stiles yells over the music. He almost asks what Meredith and her crazy-ass brother did to his best friend, but luckily he thinks it through and doesn't cause that much of a scene.

Merry frowns, pink mouth pouting in what she hopes is an attractive way. "Why would I know? I'm following Allison; she's getting a ride home with me."

The pale boy frowns too, but the curve of his mouth is much more severe. "Don't mess around; something's wrong with Scott and it all started the night your creepy family came back."

Her cheeks flush in righteous anger. "Get your head checked, Stilinski." She sneers, and then adds "And leave me alone." The girl rips her arm from his grasp and stalks out the door.

Although the whole encounter leaves a bad taste in her mouth, Meredith tries her best to shove the asshole out of her mind. While he's right, it technically is her family's fault his best friend is turning into a monster, he had no right to confront her. She's not even a werewolf, for Pete's sake!

She's stumbling down the ridiculous set of stairs leading up to Lydia's front door when she catches the sound of Derek's voice.

"I'm-" Meredith leaps at the opportunity to interrupt.

"Derek! I thought I told you to come later?" she mock-chides. Allison looks a little lost, yet relieved at the same time.

"Hey, Mer. I, uh, I was looking for Scott when I bumped into your brother?" her tone is questioning, which Merry supposes is a natural reaction. There's no real reason for a man in his early twenties to be lurking around a high school party. He's just lucky she's covering for him, really.

"I guess you couldn't wait another two hours, huh?" she says, aiming to change the conversation.

Derek gives a little grunt. "Absolutely. I shouldn't have let you come in the first place."

With a theatrical roll of her eyes Meredith turns to Allison. "Where'd Scott get to, anyway?" eyes widening in pretend concern, she continues "Wasn't he your ride home?"

Allison bites her lip and spares a look for the ground. "Uh, yeah, he was. Maybe I'll just spend the night." she mumbles.

Grinning, Merry grabs her hand and tugs her to the Camaro. "Der can give you a ride home, can't you?"

Her brother gives an aggravated sigh; she only hopes it's a contrived one, and not one born out of honest frustration. "Just get in the car, Merry."

She flashes a bright smile at her brother and then turns back to Allison. "Did you leave anything inside? No? Great!" And then she tugs her into the back seat of her brother's car.

OX

**i literally sat for like six hours and typed this out, not including the hour and a half i spent doing major plot points. and yet, there was supposed to be more? but it felt right to end here, so we'll see if i include the snippets i cut out in a sort of deleted scenes at the end of this project, whenever ****_that _****is! AHHH IT'S DONE IT'S AMAZING i'm just ecstatic we're past the first episode, tbh; i thought we were never going to get there!**

**mmm, so here's stiles. still no scott yet, which is . . . troublesome haha. expect some scott/merry (platonic slightly antagonistic relationship of course) next chapter. probably. i hope stiles is alright? i think i had him put the pieces together a little sooner than he did in canon; but i think his anger/impatience/nerves are typically what you would expect from him, yes? wasn't much room for funny!stiles though, so :(**

**another note - meredith's unnaturally nice to allison here. mostly because she's plotting, kind of because she's a little drunk, and also because, under all that angst, she honestly has nothing to ****_dislike _****about allison. not yet anyway (muahahaha)**

**don't forget to check out my polyvore for outfits as well as for some items i imagine in the apartment. my tumblr has minor writing updates as well as notes on such things as my idea of witchcraft (which will be further explained here) and a floor plan of the new place. both links are on my profile!**

**yours,  
tor**

**(ps - this story has 687 views! for four chapters! oh my god! but only five reviews :( while those people are lovely and wonderful i'd really like some other opinions! so don't forget to review okay friends! thanks!**)


	6. band-aid

Lydia's a ridiculously supportive girlfriend; she wants her man at his best, at all times. If that means getting up early and staying late to cheer him on at practice, than by God that's what she's going to do. While watching the boys run is sort of entertaining (and she gets a secret pleasure from watching Jackson take down whoever's on the opposing side), it does get . . . lonely. Which is fine, as long as she's got two new friends who failed to please her. In repentance for ditching her annual start of school party well before it was over, Meredith's sitting next to the redhead, a large travel mug of coffee not too far from her. Allison would've been right beside her on that bench, if the pale girl hadn't spent two whole afternoons shopping with Lydia. All Merry had to do was attend an early practice and cheer Jackson on at Saturday's game, cheesy signs included. (If Allison wasn't "dating" Scott, she'd be cheering for Lydia's boyfriend, too.)

Not that Meredith had been planning on skipping this practice. Scott and his nosy friend have been avoiding the hell out of her - and rather effectively, too. The pair were always the last ones in and the first ones out of english, the only class she shared with either one. At lunch, Lydia kept her practically chained to the lunch table, saying she wouldn't lose "another one" to Scott McCall.

Meredith heaves a sigh, tilts her head back, and glares at the sun high above through the tinted lenses of her sunglasses. The light streaming down on her is barely warm; a sure sign of the coming winter. The brunette gets comfortable, and sips at her coffee to keep the chill at bay. Lydia's chattering on about Jackson's future as a pro-lacrosse player. Merry's sure it's interesting, but then again how many professional lacrosse player does she know? She doesn't even know that much about the game, to be honest. To keep peace, she makes vague noises of agreement, all the while enjoying the last of the sun. It's pretty relaxing, actually; right up until Lydia lets out a piercing scream.

Startled, Meredith tears the glasses from her face and watches as her friend scrambles down the bleachers. From her vantage point, she can see a body rolling around in the grass. Two figures are rushing away from the scene. Just across the field, a figure in black surveys the incident. If she squints, she can just make out her brother's features. He jerks his head in the direction Dumb and Dumber had raced off in. Groaning, she snatches up her bag and follows Derek's silent order.

The deep growling coming from the locker room can be heard down the hallway. Merry shudders at the werewolf's obvious rage, and wishes Derek had just come and taken care of the problem himself. But since it's up to her, she squares her shoulders and clutches the bags of powdered herbs from Friday closer. As she has no desire to get closer than necessary to a raging wolf, she has a vague plan of locking him inside with the powdered mountain ash without Scott even realizing it. And then she hears the other voice pleading with the Beta. Of course Stiles had thought it the best idea to follow a pissed off supernatural creature into a confined space.

Now she's creeping down the short hallway leading into the locker room proper, back flush against the wall. She can't even believe she's considering risking her life for this idiot. Peering carefully around the corner, she's quick to yank her head back when something scrabbles against the other side of the wall.

Apparently not that willing to sacrifice herself. The noise is quick to stop, although a constant, loud "woosh" sound replaces it. Sneaking a glance around the corner again, Meredith is kind of preparing herself to see little bits of Stiles strewn around the room. She wonders how well her brother'd take it. Instead, she's mildly surprised when it's Scott collapsed on a bench, dripping with condensation. Stiles had sprayed him with a fire extinguisher. Definitely one of the more creative ways she's seen a rampaging werewolf distracted.

Meredith takes a deep breath, and is just about to reveal herself when the two start talking, voices low.

"Stiles - what happened?" Scott asks, confusion and pain evident in his tone.

"You tried to kill me." His friend answers, completely nonchalant. "It's like I told you before; it's the anger, it's your pulse rising. It's a trigger." _At least someone did their homework,_ she thinks briefly.

"But that's lacrosse! It's a pretty violent game if you haven't noticed!" the werewolf whines, getting louder already.

"It's gonna be a lot more violent if you end up killing someone on the field. You can't play Saturday." Stiles decides, voice firm. "You're gonna have to get out of the game."

"I'm first line." The way Scott says it almost makes Meredith feel bad. It's not like he asked for the bite, after all.

"Not anymore." the taller boy counters.

The conversation's apparently over, judging by the shuffling of feet and rustle of clothes.

"Or you can let Derek help you." she says, stepping out from the hallway. Merry leans casually against the wall, as if she hadn't just eavesdropped on the whole little episode.

Both boys are obviously startled by her sudden appearance, Stiles noticeably more so. Scott merely jerks back, but the other teen physically jumps away from her, landing with a painful thump against the metal lockers.

"How the hell - why didn't you smell her, asshole?" he shouts at Scott, giving the other boy a shove on the shoulder.

"I don't know! She's been a werewolf a lot longer than I have, why don't you try asking her that!" his friend yells back, flinging a hand out to point at the smirking girl.

Merry pushes off the wall and saunters closer to the two boys. "I'm not a wolf, F-Y-I." she spells out, "And you can thank the chemicals from the extinguisher for blocking your special wolfy senses."

The two share a brief, confused look before Stiles gives a dramatic shake of his head, arms making an x-figure in front of his chest.

"No! No way! You and your serial killer brother need to leave us the hell alone!" he practically shouts ("My brother's not a murderer," she mutters under her breath). "Scott and I can control this thing just fine. Right Scott?" here he turns crazy eyes to his best friend.

The shaggy-haired kid shifts awkwardly. "Stiles, maybe I should at least try it his way."

Meredith smiles widely, and doesn't give him a chance to change his mind. "Great choice, Scott! I can't promise he's the most patient man, but my brother'll definitely try his best to keep you safe." Then she flounces out of the locker room, floral dress swishing against bare legs. As soon as the heavy door slams shut behind her, Stiles turns to Scott with a betrayed look on his face.

"You're gonna trust Derek freakin' Hale over me? Your best friend of how many years?"

"Stiles, no, I just wanted to get rid of her." Scott defends. "But she has a point - I almost_ killed_ you just now!" he throws his hands up in the air in frustration. "_And_ I probably broke Jackson!"

Stiles rolls his eyes, "Who cares about Jackass," he snorts before growing serious again. "But you _didn't_ kill me because _I_ stopped you."

The shorter teen rubs the back of his neck. "We gotta figure something else out, dude. I can't keep losing it on the field."

"We'll do it, Scott we will." Stiles sighs. "In the meantime, you can't play Saturday."

XO

The next day, Scott and Stiles are still avoiding her. Merry's not exactly pleased with that; she figured, what with him at least giving Derek a chance, they'd try and make nice in school. Especially since she's kind of friends with his girlfriend.

So she grins and bears it; doesn't take their avoidance personally. It's only been a day since Scott's accepted Derek, after all. The day inches by painfully slow. It's broken up briefly when Lydia starts showing off Allison to any and every available lacrosse player. Where Allison sees it as the redhead being a good friend (which she is, sort of, in her own way), Merry recognizes the smug look on her pretty face whenever Scott happened to be around for these interactions. He happened to be in eyesight each and every time, without fail. Since he didn't look ready to rip someone apart, Meredith simply takes enjoyment from his annoyed features.

Whatever the queen bee's end game is, it doesn't matter once school ends. She's grabbing books from her locker when Lydia sweeps up to her, Allison in tow.

"We're making signs this afternoon." the redhead declares, large purse swung over one delicate shoulder. "Meet up at my place by four. After we'll grab dinner." Smiling as if she's just solved world hunger, the queen sashays away.

When Allison doesn't follow immediately after her, Meredith raises an inquisitive eyebrow. "Need something, Allison?"

The brunette hesitates before a determined glint appears in her eyes. "Yeah, actually. Um, earlier, Scott was being really - weird."

Meredith snorts, "As if that's anything new." Inside she's panicking because what if the Argent girl is putting things together? What if she's figuring out her new beau is something she's destined to kill?

"He was asking about - about Derek, actually. Acting really shady, you know?" the other girl presses. "Is there a reason he'd tell me to stay away from both you and your brother?"

Merry closes her locker with a little more force than necessary. "Look, Allison; my brother is a big boy. I don't keep tabs on him. If he and Scott got into some macho pissing match, then I don't know about it. And I have no idea why he'd take an issue with me, because of something between him and Der." She grips the strap of her bag so tightly, her knuckles are turning white. She prays that Allison doesn't notice.

"I know we're not the best of friends, but - you'd warn me if there was something bad going on and you knew about it, right?" Allison asks, eyebrows creased in concern.

"No, I'd let you put yourself in danger." Meredith answers, giving her a sarcastic look. "Any more strange questions for me?"

She gives Merry a grateful smile, relief evident on her face, before moving to link arms with her. A little weirded out, Meredith allows it, if only to keep up appearances. "Good to know! Did you want to carpool to Lydia's? These gas prices are killing my wallet."

The shorter girl is about to say no, that she's got to stop by her place and pick up some stuff, when she notices Allison's jacket. Not the one on her back, the one she wore to school that morning, but the lighter black blazer in her arms. It looked like the one she had worn Friday night, the one she had conveniently "forgotten" in Derek's backseat. And he hadn't given it to Meredith to give back, and there's no way he did it himself, so . . . This didn't feel right at all.

"Uh, sure. Let's take my car."

OX

**hellooo! this is noticeably shorter than last chapter; originally i was going to try and cram the whole episode in one chapter but it was getting to be too much in one shot, you know? so here we have approximately half of the second episode; or at least, what meredith affects/causes. this is also the first time i took dialogue straight from the script which was not exactly a fun thing.**

**you wanna know what else SUCKS? trying to figure out teen wolf's timeline. as far as i can tell, the beginning of e2 right up until the end of scott's attack on stiles occurs right after the pilot but then the next day is friday? judging by derek's visit that night and then scott's visit to finstock in the next scene. so yeah it's all a little jumbled; for this story's sake scott apologizes monday morning and then we skip to thursday (aka this chapter,) for the first lacrosse practice.**

**hopefully you guys enjoy enough to leave a review! :) (that's not a hint. at all.)  
tor**


	7. hail-mary pass

An obnoxious little jingle interrupts Katy Perry's romantic description of litter. Blowing a chunk of hair out of her face, Merry wipes her palms on denim-clad thighs. Hopefully she got all the glitter off before she starts digging through her bag. She can feel Lydia's annoyed gaze heavy on her back. When she sees it's Derek calling, she huffs a little.

"It's my brother; he probably wants to know what time I'm going to be home." she announces with a roll of her eyes. Where Allison takes it at face value, Lydia gets a sassy look on her face.

"He's the most over-protective brother I've ever had the pleasure of _not_ meeting." the redhead snips. It's a dig, and not a subtle one, that Meredith's never introduced her to Derek, while Allison got a ride home that was probably _chock full_ of potentially embarrassing tidbits. The brunette smiles wanly before stepping into the hallway outside Lydia's obnoxiously purple bedroom.

"Hey," she says, voice soft; it's not like she could be heard through the too-loud music they had been playing, but better safe than sorry.

"Scott's not playing along." he growls through the phone. Meredith sighs and slides down the wall, tilting her head back against the hard surface.

"What does that mean, exactly?"

"It _means_ that he showed up at my house screaming about his girl. You're supposed to be getting us closer, not making trouble. Take a step back." Derek orders.

She pulls the phone away from her face and scowls at it. _I suppose he couldn't get the looks __**and**__ the brains_ her mind huffs, rather unfairly if she's being honest. Before she puts the device back to her ear, she hops off the floor and takes three quick steps to the bathroom. With a locked door firmly between her and any accidental eavesdroppers, Meredith restarts the conversation.

"Her family's a threat, not just to Scott, but to you." she hisses. "I'm not giving up a source in the Argent house just because some kid is getting pissy."

"Whatever you're doing Mer, it's unsettling him. If you won't distance yourself at least keep a low profile around her when Scott's nearby." he sighs, offering an olive branch.

"_I_ need to keep a low profile?! Der, you keep showing up _everywhere_! The kid can't go to the bathroom without you peering through the crack under the door!" she retorts. "Besides, _we_ aren't what's getting his hackles up. Allison's jacket showed up - in her locker." Meredith reveals, wrapping an arm around herself.

"I didn't put it there." Derek mutters, almost to himself. "Did you?" he accuses.

"No! Last I saw it you were using it to bait Scott out into the woods." she answers hotly. "Listen Derek, I gotta go. Come around after dinner tonight and we'll hash out who got the coat in her locker." Her brother doesn't even get an opportunity to say goodbye before she's hung up him.

Frustration wells up in the pit of her stomach, fear and confusion not far behind. If she didn't do it, and Derek didn't do it, and obviously _Scott_ didn't, then the only person left is the mystery Alpha. So not good news for Allison, let alone the werewolves in Merry's life.

Meredith looks at her reflection in the mirror, notes the circles peeking through her slightly smeared concealer. Turning on the sink, she pats her cheeks a little with damp hands, puts a smile on and goes back to her friends.

"Sorry, sorry. He was telling me about the new curfew, as a recorded message from the ever lovely Principal Hodges told him, and how he expects me to obey it." her smile turns mischievous. The message had actually come to her about an hour and a half ago, since her cell was listed as Derek's work number. "I told him I'd see what I could do."

Lydia appraises her carefully, the capped end of a lurid yellow marker tapping thoughtfully against her lower lip. The look is gone quickly, however. "Is he coming to the game tomorrow night?" she asks.

Scrunching her nose, Meredith grimaces at the thought of her brother sitting in the crowd, cheering on a bunch of rowdy teenage boys. "No, I don't think he'll be able to make it."

OX

The nurse on duty is a different one from her first visit almost two weeks ago. This one is a little chubbier, with greying hair thrown in the tightest bun Meredith's seen, the skin on her forehead pulled taunt. It's probably because this is a weekend visit, compared to an early afternoon in the beginning of the week. She's a little less friendly, too, judging by the flat look she sends Merry over the desk.

"Welcome to Beacon's Crossing Home; how can I help you?"

Despite the less-than-stellar personality, the process is exactly the same as it had been the first time around. She signs her name, absently notes Derek's cramped handwriting about ten lines up. The woman on duty gets up to lead her to Peter's room; Meredith waves her off. She isn't twelve, she knows how to read room numbers.

On her way passed the desk, the nurse calls out. "There's only about an hour left for visitation!"

Meredith tosses a hand up in acknowledgement. She's thinking about making this a weekly thing, as long as she has time; it's important to keep family close, and now that Laura's gone, she feels responsible for this utterly mundane task. She shouldn't think of family that way, as something to check off her to-do list, but - well. Consider it a work-in-progress. Besides, she read somewhere that talking to coma patients is supposed to help them heal. Why can't the same be said for werewolves in vegetative states?

It's pretty late in the afternoon, maybe three or three thirty. The door is shut, which is slightly surprising; she taps lightly on the thin wood. After a minute of no response, she looks around the hallway in confusion, _because who the hell is in there with him_, before knocking harder. Almost immediately, the door is ripped open by a red-headed woman in bright white.

"Oh! Uh, hi; are you my uncle's nurse?" she questions, voice a little high thanks to the scare.

"Yes, Jennifer. And who are you?" the nurse answers in a clipped tone.

"I'm Meredith." she says, reaching a hand out to shake; Jennifer eyes it like a dirty thing. When it becomes clear that she's being ignored, Meredith steps out of the door awkwardly, and lets the other woman through.

"Can't risk bacteria," she tosses over her shoulder in explanation.

Merry snorts and mutters under her breath, "I'm sure." Then she enters the room, bag heavy on her shoulder. Taking a seat in the hospital-issue recliner, she pulls a book out of the satchel.

"Brought your favorite, Pete. Nice and sacrilegious, just how you like." her fingers tap the cover, right on the title printed on front; pauses a moment before she continues. "I'm sure Derek told you, but, we found her. Laura. She's . . . at peace."

Clearing her throat, the girl cracks open the book and starts reading. "Right. 'The angel was cleaning out his closets when the call came.'"

She's reading for maybe a half hour or so when her phone rings, the number coming up unknown. Frowning down at the cell, she closes the book and answers. Her voice is a little rough, from reading so long.

"Hello?"

"Meredith."

"Derek? Where are you calling from?" she asks, eyebrows creasing in confusion. She had him saved as a contact, there was no reason for it to come up unknown.

". . . A holding cell in the sheriff's station." he admits.

"_What_?" she leaps out of her chair, starts towards the door before she turns around and presses a kiss to her uncle's unscarred cheek, mutters "see you Peter" as she crosses the threshold into the hallway. Back to the problem at hand. "Do I even want to know how you ended up there?"

"Nosy teenage shits." Derek offers in way of explanation.

"Nos- Is there any other kind?" she growls as she books it across the parking lot. Meredith pauses at the driver's side door. "Any sign of them letting you out?"

There's a slight jangle from the other end. "Probably not. Hey, I don't have much time left. I figured I should let you know where I was."

"Oh no, forget that. I'm coming to you, brother. They better get ready for Hurricane Meredith." she growls. Merry rips open the car door and jabs at her phone to end the call. The time catches her attention; it's 4:15, a little later than she had been expecting. With a curse, she scrolls through her contacts to Lydia's name; she was supposed to meet her friends at 5:45, and she had a terrible feeling that getting her brother out of jail would take longer than an hour and a half. To her overwhelming surprise (and relief), it goes to voicemail after a few rings.

"Hey Lyd, just me. I might be a little late to the game; family emergency. Sorry!" it's rushed and not at all informative; Merry fully expects to be on the end of the redhead's scathing glare when she finally does roll up to the sporting event.

XO

Meredith makes sure she looks suitably harried before walking into the sheriff's department; messes up her hair, smudges the eyeliner she had carefully applied that morning. Then she flings open the door to the station and walks in looking every inch the scared teenager. It's a typical enough place, with a long wooden counter separating workers from civilians. Right now, there's a single man (wearing the standard issue deputy sheriff's brown uniform) behind said counter.

Merry rests her hands on the edge of the counter and clears her throat; she hopes her eyes are red enough to look as if she'd been crying.

"I'm looking for my big brother?" she asks, the words cracking in her throat. "He called and said he was arrested."

The deputy shuffles a few papers around. "What's your brother's name?"

"De - Derek Hale."

Now he looks at her with a mildly uncomfortable face, his paper-shuffling done. "Er, well, he's being held for the suspicion that he's committed a _very_ serious crime."

"Well he didn't do it!" her voice reaches a painful;y high pitch. "If he had an alibi, wouldn't he be released? Can't be in two places at once, right?" Her desperation is half real, because Derek can't be stuck in jail, she can't be completely alone in this town with no back-up and unknown dangers around every corner.

Now the man clears his throat. "Mr Hale refused any attempts from our officers to provide a defense for himself. He didn't even call an attorney."

"Bu - But what about reasonable doubt? He wasn't even_ in town_ until about two weeks ago, and we've been together ever since then! Whatever he's being accused of, Derek didn't do it. He's just too prideful to defend himself." Merry retorts; she wipes a fake tear away for added effect.

He sighs; she's just getting annoying now, she can tell. "I'll let my superior officer know someone stopped in with more information, but I can't release your brother until he's been cleared."

She frowns and thinks of the saddest thing she can to force her eyes to water, before asking, "Can I at least see him?"

The deputy sighs and braces himself against the counter. "Miss Hale, he was arrested as the prime suspect in an open murder case. I don't think-"

"How many other ways do you want me to tell you - Derek didn't do it!" Meredith interrupts; her patience is wearing thin. The very least this guy could do is let her have five minutes with him.

"The body was found in your side yard." Brown eyes slide to the side, as if he wasn't exactly supposed to reveal that information; which he probably wasn't. But it confirms her suspicions that the grave was dug up; unconsciously, she sucks in a deep breath.

"A - A body? At _our_ house? Have you identified the poor person at least, before jumping at the chance to put my brother in handcuffs?" she accuses; it doesn't matter if _she_ knows that it's Laura, but she has a feeling it could hurt Derek's chances of being released if he was personally related to the victim.

"Well, we're getting to that! Miss Hale, there's nothing more for you here. Derek Hale cannot be released until it's proven that he was not behind this crime." the deputy's tone is final.

Pouting because the discussion hadn't gone her way (maybe getting them to free Der was a bit much to hope for but she could've at least been able to see him!), Meredith sends the haughtiest look she can muster through messy makeup and frazzled hair. "I'd like to speak to your supervising officer."

The officer's hands start to move, like he's about to throw them up in the air. Instead, he takes a deep breath and calmly says, "Sheriff Stilinski has left the office for the day. Try again tomorrow at nine, when our doors open to the public. Will that be all, Miss Hale?"

Merry looks to the distance, as if she's thinking the offer over. If there was only one Stilinski family in Beacon Hills (which, let's be real, it would be too much of a coincidence if there was more than one), then the Sheriff would probably be at his son's game. Although, from what she'd both observed and been told, Stiles didn't really see much action off the bench. Either way, there was a good enough chance that she would find the man in charge there. Maybe if she looked pathetic enough he'd hear her out.

"I suppose it will have to be, deputy . . .?" she trails off, obviously asking his name.

"Hargrove. We'll be seeing you bright and early tomorrow, won't we?" the man says through gritted teeth.

"If not before that, then yes. I'll bring coffee. Oh, and a lawyer, if my darling sibling hasn't manned up and called one himself, or been released by then." she sniffs, the facade of a scared little girl long gone. With a peering look behind Deputy Hargrove, Meredith walks right out the front door.

OX

She sits in the school parking lot for maybe fifteen minutes, watches the clock in her dashboard tick slowly to six o'clock. She doesn't want to be here anymore, doesn't want to be surrounded by all these people who have no idea of their dangerous surroundings. It's not like she'd be able to focus on cheering Jackson on either, not with her brother behind bars. She can definitely deal with another week on Lydia's shit list, if it meant sitting out on this game. But, she thinks with a frown, about how she's losing an opportunity to present her case to the Sheriff himself. Obviously Derek didn't commit the crime, and the evidence would support that; it's just a matter of time before the police are sufficiently convinced. With a curse, Merry slams her hands against the steering wheel. Time! There wasn't enough _time_. Too much going on for Derek to be sitting on his ass, locked in a jail cell.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, the brunette swipes at the smudged eyeliner beneath her eyes in an effort to make herself more presentable. Then she collects her bag and strides towards the glaringly white lights of the lacrosse field.

The stands are packed, from what she can see. Lydia's decked out in ridiculous fur earmuffs that only seem to make the petite redhead cuter, and Allison's right next to her. It's the man standing on the brunette's other side, with light hair and piercing eyes, that draws Meredith's attention. With the frustrated looks Allison keeps sending over her shoulder, it's obvious they know each other. How, she's not exactly sure. Either way, there are no open seats around her friends. Frown already forming, she sends a simple text saying she's there to both girls., and waits until Lydia shoos the parent next to her away with a pout and wide eyes. She points a gloved hand towards Merry's general direction, mouth forming words the brunette can only guess at. Finally the woman scoots down, presses against the person on her other side with an unhappy look on her face.

Climbing the wobbly bleachers, Meredith takes her time in getting to her seat. Then she squeezes herself between the parent and Lydia.

"Who's the guy Allison's trying to glare to death?" she asks loudly. While she's not quiet, she doesn't think Allison nor her seatmate can hear her over the woosh of the crowd.

"Her dad decided to chaperone at the last minute." Lydia explains with a decidedly aggravated look in her eyes. "But that's not important. What took you so long?"

Meredith frowns a little, because she's not _that_ late, and it's not like her boyfriend-slash-boytoy is playing. "Er, my brother needed some help. With family things; our old house is being vandalized." Well, not too far from the truth, kind of. The burnt out mansion is technically a crime scene, after all. It's the best she can come up with, anyway, since now she's so extremely aware of the fact that it's _Chris Argent_, notorious werewolf hunter with countless kills under his belt, who also happens to be the son of the current Argent leader, as far as the rumors floating around the supernatural community said.

Lydia doesn't press the issue, decides to let it go out of the kindness of our heart. Instead she shoves a neon green poster in to Merry's hands; when she unrolls it, it says "#37! Go Jackson Go!". Every other word is covered in silver glitter.

"I hope you're still ready to cheer our team onto victory." the queen bee sniffs. 'Our team' obviously just means Jackson, since both signs proudly declared their support for him alone. Merry gives a weak smile, and raises the sign above her head. Allison and Lydia share the other poster, which proudly exclaims that 'Jackson is #1' in simple black bubble letters.

The game proceeds in a typical fashion, although she is slightly surprised when the Beacon Hills team outright refuses to pass to Scott. She also doesn't miss the slightest flash of yellow coming from the helmeted head of the player with eleven emblazoned on his back. Nice to know Scott couldn't keep his ass out of the game, although his sidekick is firmly seated on the bench. Speaking of Stilinski, Meredith keeps her eyes peeled for a man in the crowd who even so distantly resembles Stiles, or maybe someone wearing a sheriff's jacket. Unfortunately, Stiles must not take after his dad and the man himself seems to have put the uniform away for the night.

Resigning herself to a sleepless night full of researching local lawyers, Merry simply observes for the rest of the game. It would be easy to slip into this false sense of security, if she didn't know who was sitting two people down from her. Thankfully, both of her friends seem too preoccupied with their significant others on the field below to introduce her to Mr Argent. She's thankful that Scott's not getting too noticeably aggressive. This lasts almost the entirety of the game, because of course he's going to be _that_ guy, the one who has to come in at the last second and save the day. In this case it means intimidating the hell out of the opposing team so they toss him the ball, which he then proceeds to whip so hard at the guy in the white uniform that it goes through the mesh oh his lacrosse stick like a hot knife through butter.

He manages to score another two goals in a minute and five seconds; impressive, considering he hadn't even handled the ball until the last two minutes of the game. Also highly suspicious, considering there's a seasoned hunter watching the field like a hawk.

When the buzzer rings, announcing the end of the match and a victory for the home team, Meredith stands with the rest of the screaming crowd, although she (like Lydia) doesn't join in the uproar. The redhead next to her is reluctant to even get to her feet, and only gives a half hearted clap. As the game's over, Merry decides to instill a little fear in Stiles, and by extension Scott. Maybe fear's not the word; more like common sense. She mutters something about running to the bathroom before she clambers down the bleachers, following the people flooding the field. She can just see Stilinski's shaved head if she stands on her tiptoes, once her feet hit grass.

She slinks close behind him, could maybe touch the guy if she reached her hands out another six inches. She does, of course, grabs his wrist in what she hopes looks friendly rather than aggressive to anyone still watching.

Stiles whips around to face her, eyes bright and smiling wide. His happy expression is immediately wiped away when he sees who's gotten his attention. When he tries to rip his hand from hers, Meredith tightens her grip for all it's worth.

"Let go of me before I scream." he hisses through clenched teeth.

"Don't be such a girl, Stilinski." she snorts, although she doesn't release him. "We need to have a little talk." In a show of good faith, her hand drops from his wrist. To her everlasting surprise, he doesn't bolt. Instead he clenches his jaw, muscles moving under pale skin, and fidgets with the hem of his uniform shirt.

"What you and Scott did, getting Derek arrested . . . you guys don't understand." for a moment she cracks, eyes sliding to the tall figure of Chris Argent, who's searching the field for his daughter. "It's not safe for him to be in the spotlight, or Scott either for that matter. All we're trying to do is _help_."

"We told you before: we don't want a murderer's help!" Stiles spits, voice going a little high on the dreaded word.

Merry barks a laugh, something harsh and completely unlike every chuckle she's ever shared with her friends. "Derek didn't kill Laura! He's looking for the person who did!"

Stiles instantly shuts himself away even more, something Meredith wasn't sure was possible. "So you know who the dead girl is."

"Of course I do! She's my sister, numb nuts! You didn't think it was at all suspicious that you uncovered a wolf rather than a girl? On a known werewolf's property?" she snarls, anger causing her cheeks to flush.

The boy's jaw drops a little before he stutters "S-sister? There are," (_were_, he thinks, _past tense_) "more Hales?"

"Did you even bother to check a newspaper when you Googled us? There was one survivor of the fire, and three orphans. And now we're two." Merry takes a deep breath through her nose, and exhales through her mouth. "Do you believe me now, that my brother's not behind any of this?" she asks softly. Stiles looks to the distance, probably searching for Scott, before giving a jerky shrug of his shoulders. She sighs at his indecisiveness. "Fine. At least - I don't - I don't know what to do to _fix_ this. The hunters are here, and it's not just us in danger, Stiles. It's Scott and probably you, too. Derek can't be a sitting duck."

"My dad, he's the sheriff. He won't let anyone get to Derek while he's in custody." he says, fumbling slightly with his words. He doesn't really want the hulking Hale to come around looking for revenge for putting him in a cell, but maybe Stiles can at least guarantee some form of safety.

"I hope it's enough, I really do." she murmurs, eyes drifting to the locker room. A figure in red, closely followed by Allison's tan coat and purple hat, is slipping into the building. "You should probably check on Scott, before someone gets hurt." Then she leaves Stiles on the field, heading toward the parking lot. He watches her go for a moment, making sure she's not going to double back and spy on them again, before racing for the locker room himself.

XO

**heeeeeyyyy, so it's been a while, yes? sorry about that; i was feeling a little put out after the last couple of chapters. and then this was such a bitch to write; i had so many ideas but no clue how to fit them together. very terrible.**

**i considered having merry officially meet papa argent and/or sheriff stilinski/mama mccall, buuuuut then i thought better. **

**i know it seems a little _weird _between stiles and merry at the very end, but she's literally out of ideas. she knows no one's safe with derek in jail, her brother least of all, and she has no idea how to protect him. family is _so _important to her, and she kinda feels like it's up to her that things run smoothly. it's like a bizarre sense of having to be always ready to protect derek, because he's _it_, as far as she knows. so she's frustrated and cornered and the only people who know even half of what she's feeling is a kid who's focused only on fixing his life (at the moment) and his friend, who seems determined to keep her separated from her sibling. **

**mmm, anything else? ah yes. i have no idea how an actual arrest procedure goes; i tried googling and well, relatively little information. i made it up as i went. i'm sure in a real-life situation merry, as a minor, would've been pulled into protective custody. however since this is _not _the real world, we'll fake it till we make it, yes?**

**so yeah! that's it! check my tumblr for updates and teen wolf related things, as well as my polyvore for outfits; both links are in my profile, or you can just find me on both sites under the same name (potpourrie). please please _please _review, i cannot stress it enough - knowing that people are out there reading, it fills me with so much confidence and inspiration. plus i'd really like to know what i could improve upon - i'm sure my characterizations are slightly off, or something idk. yup! that's it! enjoy your weekends!**

**(disclaimer: i'm only playing in the teen wolf sandbox; the book merry reads to peter is also not mine - it's called _lamb: the gospel according to biff, christ's childhood pal _by christopher moore and it's wickedly funny; i definitely imagine peter having a good chuckle over it, tbh)**


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